Making it Special

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE celebrating holidays, new seasons, vacations, and events in the family's life.  It helps break up everyday monotony, keeps us looking forward to something fun, and helps the kids start understanding how time and seasons pass. 

The only issue has been ever since we started the diet sugar has been a HUGE no, no.  I started noticing (more) how every special event from holidays, sports games, church activities, vacations, and everything-in-between was centered around SUGAR.

Does an event HAVE to include sugary, refined flour treats in order to be "special"?  What's so special about flour and sugar anyway?  It's crazy how the cheapest items in the grocery store are the most coveted and craved.  I won't go into any science behind this sad truth, besides saying that sugar is literally addictive.  I'm addicted, my children are addicted, and most of the world is addicted (look it up, it's true!). 

Consuming food is a means to give our body what it needs for energy, healing, and function- right?  So what does sugar have to give in that process?  Well, I don't know about you but too much sugar gives me a headache, stomach ache, fainting spells, and makes me want to slap anyone who looks at me wrong.  I lose all energy and will to do pretty much anything positive.  PLUS, I'm not satisfied at all.  I just want more and more until I'm close to vomiting.  Obviously, my relationship with sugar is a little extreme, but I assume it's also pretty common.  To answer my own question: What does sugar have to give?  It doesn't give me anything, it just drains.

So, with all this in mind, how do we still celebrate and have a good time while avoiding too much sugar?  We first prepare the kids.  When we're attending a special event we remind them that the "treat" is just being there with the family, not buying candy.  Yes, they are disappointed, but at least they're not shocked or surprised when we refuse to buy cotton candy.  Then, we focus on just having fun with each other.  Soon, the kids don't even remember the junk food because they're having too much fun.  This has become the norm in our family now so the kids hardly even ask for treats anymore (a FAR cry from a few months ago).  It's amazing how fast kids get the hang of things when rules are consistent.

Valentine's day we had pink heart-shaped pancakes.  The kids were thrilled with the new color and shape! (The pancakes are made with coconut flour.)

For syrup I just throw frozen berries in a pot, melt them down, add some vanilla and cinnamon, then blend smooth...mmmm...

I'm sure we played other Valentine's day games, but I totally can't remember!  Sad...


We headed back down to San Antonio over Spring Break for some more Sea World adventures.  The kids were all sick, but it ended up being a blast anyway.

The kids knew we weren't buying any food in the park (or toys) and I was surprised how few complaints we received (it could have been the fact that they were too tired to complain:)  We packed lots of snacks (jerky, nuts, coconut flakes, Laura bars, and fruit) and everyone did well.

They have a fun little baby playground where DeeDee hangs out while the big kids are on the rides.

These are some performers from the best show in the park.

All funned out

Look at Ivy's face!

Don't ever let listen when your children insist they'll be fine with a ride where everyone ends up COMPLETELY soaked.  Ivy was not a happy girl (luckily we had swimsuits to change into).

Fish!

 We were in San Antonio over St. Patrick's Day so we had to be a little creative with our celebrations.  Hyrum was obsessed with catching one this year and came up with these Leprechaun traps:

 Apparently the little dudes can't resist pennies.

Hyrum was hoping one would climb the shoelace and fall in the milk jug and get stuck.



I promise those aren't stains, just pretty brown designs.




Unfortunately we didn't catch any of those sneaky Leprechauns- but they took the money!  They did leave a little surprise for Ivy and Hyrum though.   They were so kind to give them a little gardening bag with tools, seeds, and special Leprechaun sighting glasses.  It was so convenient because we were already planning lots of garden projects anyway!  Hyrum did mention that Mr. Leprechaun must have left "real treats" at our house, but he forgot all about it by the time we made it home.

Here's his note:

NICE TRY! HE! HE! HE!

You'll have to try harder to catch me!


Please use these tools that I give

To plant a garden for me and my family to live


Then use the glasses to help see

So you can play all day with me!!!

-Mr. L.



Lastly me and a few friends had a fun girl date to Disney on Ice (it was a little boring... just being honest!)  It was so fun to spend quality time with friends and NO treats were needed or wanted- YAY!

With Easter coming up this Sunday I can guarantee there will be candy (I'm not THAT cruel!)  We will all enjoy a small amount and by Monday it will be out of the house in one way or another.  I look forward to indulging in a Reese's PB egg, but the sad thing is I already know I'm going to be disappointed- both in the actual taste and how I will feel afterward...

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Visitors

We are so grateful for family and friends who take time away from their important lives and visit us. We know it's a hassle to drop everything, pack for hours, arrange rides, and spend a bunch of cash, but it sure makes us feel special.

Lucky us to have my Mom and Dad stay with us for a few days!  With walks, bike rides, fishing, kites, and just hanging out, we stayed pretty busy.  Hopefully Nana and Grandpa actually found time for a little rest, cuz it's hard to get around here.  The kids still ask when they're coming back, as if they live around the block (Nana and Grandpa are probably glad they don't live QUITE that close:)

Thanks for coming to see us Nana and Grandpa!  We miss and love you!

Year of the Bike

Our awesome neighbors gave us their bike trailer in December, (did I mention we have AWESOME neighbors?) so it was the perfect motivation to get a bike!  We finally have room to store it and Hyrum can go long distances on his own, so it was a great time to spoil mommy.

The bike has been one of those things that I can't figure out how I ever lived without.  I strap the girls in and ride everywhere (when weather permits).  It's such an amazing feeling to exercise WITH my kids, while having a blast, while enjoying the outdoors.  Bry loves that he's using his roller blades all the time too (which is nice when Hyrum or I need a push up a hill).

Another perk is when we discover cool stuff  we wouldn't have found otherwise.  There's lots of beautiful trails running around the neighborhoods and one day we came upon the coolest park in the universe:



The slides are so tall and fast they even give Bry and I a thrill ride.



With this new year comes a few guarantees:

1. I will always have helmet hair.
2. I will always smell like sweat.
3. I will always have a smile on my face because I'm having FUN!

My Funny Valentine

Bry had his 30th birthday right before Valentine's Day.  It was a strangely emotional day for me.  Each year I can't imagine my love growing for this guy who's a TOTAL clutter-bug, who INSISTS on being 20 minutes early for everything, and who would buy ANOTHER wallet for himself in a flash, not because he needs one, but because it's 65% off!!! (and then store it away in a closet for years so he has a fresh supply, just in case) 

Maybe love has little to do with two model-looking people getting together and living a perfect, lavish life.  Maybe it's about a man and woman CHOOSING to devote themselves to each other because no one else would put up with them!  (I know my wisdom is astounding;)

I DO completely and utterly adore this dude- faults and all.  We have worked so hard to build a partnership, friendship, and love that I'm truly proud of.  He is a remarkable man who I TOTALLY don't deserve.  But, best of all-  he makes me laugh more than anyone else in the world.  I'm so lucky to have you Bry.

Baby Minnie Mouse is 4!

I lied- it's ACTUALLY Ivy who is now 4 years old, but as she INSISTS we all call her Baby Minnie Mouse at the moment, it's easy to get confused around here. 

All I can say is: I LOVE FOUR!!!  If twos are terrible, threes are thorny, (okay... maybe that's a stretch, YOU think of an adjective for a difficult three year old that begins with TH!) fours are just plain fab.  Full of love, helpful, fun-loving, curious, tender-hearted, self-sufficient, imaginative, sensible- just delightful.

On her birthday she woke up to princess balloons, streamers, and other assorted girly decorations.

 

Don't you just love the delight in her face?



We used my Sister-in-Law Kim's recipe to make some crazy good cupcakes. 
(Just stab a regular yellow cake with a fork like crazy, pour jello over the top and chill, top with whipped cream and raspberries- YUM)



Her very first doll house.



It was a wonderful day to celebrate our Ivy girl.

Here's her official Four Year Old List:

Favorite color: "rainbow...with pink and purple stripes"
Favorite activity: "playing doll house with daddy"
Not-so-favorite activity:  "sitting on the naughty spot"
Favorite food:  "waffles"
Least favorite food: "a dead turkey and cat"
Favorite show:  "Mickey Mouse Clubhouse"
Biggest Fear: "monsters and giants"
Favorite toy:  "dolls"
Favorite animal: "cats"


 

Ivy is an amazing big sis.  Both Hyrum and Ivy are so sweet with Delia (sometimes I'm afraid they spoil her too much)  This picture was taken right before DeeDee kissed Ivy.  I just love the anticipation on her face.

Ivy loves playing "mommy" all day.  She's very rarely seen without some sort of baby in her arms.

She is super fun-loving and loves to laugh.  Listening to her full-out belly laugh is one of my very favorite things in the entire UNIVERSE.

She is 100% Daddy's girl.  She asks the very same question EVERY SINGLE DAY before she says anything else: "Where's daddy?"

I love how this pic shows off her darling freckles and stunning eyes.

We're so very privileged to have this darling child in our family.  I don't know if she chose us, if we chose her, or it was just the luck of the draw, but however she made it into our family-I'm so grateful to our Heavenly Father for our Ivy June.